Tractor-truck mechanism



w. o. ,IvIILLEII. l TRACTOR TRUCK MECHA-NSM.

APPLICATION' FILED MA1 2f1. IsIs.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WIWI/Eff f. W

rms Y. Imswuurux. u c.

w.a0. MILLER.

TR'A'CTOR TRUCK MECHANISM.

' APPLICATION FILED MAYZ. ISIS.

' tion. Y

l I nism that will readily Aadapt itself Vto the f UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFrofE.

vWILLIAivir. o. MILLER, or SAN Joss, CALIFORNIA.

K lTRAC'.lOR-'IIREUCK MECHANISM. Y

To all inkom t may concern: t

` Be it known that I, WILLIAM O. "Mmmm, ai citizen of'the'United States,.residing at `San J ose, in the countyof Santa Clara and State of California, vhave invented a new and usei ful Improvement in' Tractor-Truck Mechanism, of whichthe following is a specifica- This invention relates to'improvement' in tractor truck mechanism of the track-laying type; and the objectsof my invention are: v

First: t0 provide an efficient, compact and economical tractor truck mechanism that will have self-laying track andl rollers therefor.

Second: to provide a tractor truck mechanism that will have'fewer wearing surfaces and one in which the parts, Vwhen worn,'can be replaced'more readily than those of the class n'ow in use. p

Third: lto provide altractortruck mechauneveness ofthe ground and'thereby lobtain Y the maximum traction on' various conditions on stationary'tracks with guide rails thereof ground surface. Y t

Fourth: tov provide a tractor truck mechanism that will have flanged rollers traveling for,and one in which the lianges on `the rollers serve to reduce friction between the rollers. v p f A lfurther object isto generallyimprove this classz of tractorv truck kmechainism sopas to increase their usefulness, durability, andefliciency. It being understood that various changes form," proportion land minor details of construction may be'resorted'tojw'ithin the scope ofthe appended claims.

' With these 'and otheripbjects inview, thev invention consists' in .thefnovel construction andz arrangement offfparts as hereinafter fully described Sandpointe'd out in the claims. Referencet is to be"hadi'to the Yaccompanying drawings,'forming appart of this specification, in whichsimilar reference characters indicate correspondingparts in all the figures. l' Y A Figure 1 lis a side view 'of my tractor truck,`

parts assembled;

Fig. 2 isan enlarged side view lof the roller' f and 'stationary track mechanism, side kplateremoved. y y n v Y `Fig.3 is--asectionalview'asshown on line p speeincation of Lettefsraient Patented May 20, 1919 Applica/cimmed May 27,1918. yserial No. 236,897. I

Fig. 4 isa sectional view as shown online 4 4 o-f Fig. "1; 1

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a link of the chain track, tread andv roller.

or shaft support 1 more rigidly in place. A1 shaft or axle is shown at 3, said shaft being;

securelyv fastened in the 'lower end of stanchion or shaft support 1 in opening 3a.

A bearing 4 is turnably secured'tofthe shaft to-which is fastened a plurality o-f metal tracks 5; having semi-circular connecting members V5a integral therewith on these tracks is riveted a plurality ofv metal crosst-ie members 6. These tracks form Vcontinuous oblong races on which Vthe metal rollers 7 travel, said rollers being held in the rraces by means of guide rails 8 and 9;'the guide rail 9 is securelyjfastened to the casing '10,

surrounding the rollers'andraces, and .the guide rail Sis 'fastened toguide rail-9 at 9a. The' rollers 7 lhave flanges 7a which keep the rollers in proper position on the tracks or races, `and `also serve as vfriction surfaces when the rollers are' rubbing against one another ,as at :7b. 'The annular groove 7C intermediate the ends of the rollers is torallow the guide rail 8 to set in clear of the bearing surfaces 71 ofthe rollers. vSide plates'are shown at 10@ and 10b fastened to the bearing 4, cross' tie members 6, and casing 10, by' bolts 6a;shock11alosorbing springs are shown at 11, placed between 'the casingv 10 and brackets 12, said brackets being fastened to the frame 1a in anyl suitable manner. These springs hold the'c'asingian'd its mechanism in posikwheel being positioned between thesebearings; the metal arms 14 being turnable on shaft' 3, allowing the position of the pulley wheel 13 to movepthrough a limited are independent of the casing 10. yThis movement is controlled' by vmeans of coiled spring V16,

positioned lbetween the bracket 17 andthe spring support 18. A distance tothe rear of the casing 1()V is the sprocket wheelv19 journaled on shaft 20, this shaft being vattached to the frame 1a by means of stanchion or shaft support 21 and' fastened to the frame 1a in anysuitable mannen A strut rod isshown at 22 and 1s secured to shaft 3 and shaft 20. f This strut rod, in connection with the metal arms 14, hold the shafts 3 and 20 and the idler vpulley wheel 13 in proper relation to each other. A power driven pinion is shown at 23 engaging the internal gear 24 of sprocket wheel 19. An

endless chain track and tread is shown atf25 and may be of any suitable design, adapted to roll over the lrollers 7 and engage the Y sprocket wheel 19. Guide rollers are shown. 'at 26, 26a and 26".

Thev rollers 26 and 26a arevsupported on shafts 27 and 27a fastened tothe frame 1@ in any suitable manner. The, Y guide roller 2\" issupportedv on shaft 27h, lsecured to the spring support 18.

These guide rollers guide the endless chain track and tread 25 over the casing 1 0 "to the idler pulley wheel 13, over whichv -it passes and returns to the sprocket wheel 19, passing i between the rollers 7 and the ground, thereby laying a track on which the tractor truck mechanism may roll.-

The Voperation of my `tractor truck mechanism is as follows .Y

' IWhen the pinion gear 23 is revolved, by

- any suitable power, in the direction indicated by the arrow, the sprocket wheel 19 is Vcaused to revolve; the sprocket, engaging the endless chain tread and track 25 pushes the truck Ymechanism overy the track and rollers 7, thus Vcausing the truck mechanism to roll forward on the chain track 25. The

rollers, after rolling along the length ofthe stationary tracks 5, are forced, one after another, up around the racesand are automatlycally placed in positionV in front of the stationary tracks ready to again roll between the chain track 25 and stationary tracks 5.

The springs 11 and 16 allow the truck mechanism to accommodate itself'to the unevenness of the ground over whichV the tractor trucks would be required to pass.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

' 1. Ina tractor truck mechanism of the class described, comprising a pair of horizontal track members; a second pairof horizontal track members, spaced a distance above and lparallel to thefirst mentioned track members; semi-circular track mem? bers connecting uthe lower track members with the upper track members at' each endvv thereof and integral therewith, thereby `forming continuous oblong races; tie members fastened to the track members between vthe upper and lower tracks; a

bearing securely fastened between the upperV and lower track members and intermediate vthe-ends thereof; a shaft or axle turnably secured to the bearing; means for fastening the shaft or aXle to the frame of a tractor; a plurality of flanged rollers,r

the casing, adapted to resiliently hold the casing and track members inY a horizontal position; an idler pulley `wheel carried ka distance forward of the casing and supportf ed on adjustablebearings attached to arms, said arms being turnably attached to the shaft or axle whereby the idler pulley wheel may move through a limited arc independent of the casing and track members, and

means for resiliently maintaining said pulley wheel in its normal position; a sprocket wheel turnably secured to the frame of a tractora distance to the rear of thecasing, said sprocket wheel being adapted to engage a flexible chain track; means for securing said sprocket wheelV on, to the frame, and power operative means vfor rotating said sprocket wheel, whereby thechain track is caused to travel over the casing, idler pulleyV wheel and back under the casing to said sprocket wheel; substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

Y 2. In a tractor truck mechanism of the class described, comprising in combination;

a pair of horizontal track members;a secondpair of horizontal ktrack members spaced a distance above and parallel to the rst mentioned track members; track members r semi-circular in shape, connecting vthe lower track members with the upper track mem-h bers at each end thereof and integral therewith thereby form-ing continuous oblong tracks or races, adapted to receive yrollers therein; tie lmembers fastened to the upper and lower track members; a bearing se-` curely -fastened to the upper 'and lower track members between and intermediate the ends thereof; a shaft or axle, adapted to engage:

said bearing; means for fastening the shaft or aXle to the frame of'a tractor; means for holding the bearing on the shaft or; aXle; a plurality of flanged rollers, each roller having an annular groove therein,intermediate the ends thereof; side plates removablyfastened to the bearing andto the tiemembers; a casing partly surrounding the tracks or races and Vremovably fastened to the side plates; a guide rail, fastened to the casing,

' said guide rail being formed into shape to class described comprising a plurality of track members formed into oblong races; meansfor fastening the track members in place and to a central bearing; a shaft 'attached to the'frame of a tractor on which said bearing is turnably secured; a plurality of rollers adapted to roll on said tracks; guide rails adapted to hold the rollers in place on the tracks; an idler pulley wheel Apositioned a distance forward of the track members and supported on arms turnably secured to the shaft; a` sprocket wheel turnably secured to the frame of a tractor a distance to the rear of the track members, and power operative means for revolving said sprocket wheel; a chain track, adapted to engage the sprocket wheel, idler pulley wheel and rollers, said chain track having tread members fastened to the lower edgesY Y thereof forming widened fiat bearing surfaces, adapted to engage the ground thereby forming a chain track, over which the rollers may roll and means for causing the roll-Y ers to automatically place themselves in po- Y sition in front of the track membersl and on the chain track substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a tractor truck mechanism of the i class described, in combination, a plurality of track members formed into oblong. races and being turnably secured to the frame of a tractor, allowing the track members to rock through a limited arc; a plurality of rollers having flanges on each end, and an annular groove intermediate the ends thereof; a guide rail, adapted to engage the annular groove in the rollers; means for securing said guide rail in place; an idler pulley wheel a distance forward of the track members, supported on arms pivoted to the track members; a power driven sprocket wheel a distance to the rear of the track membersV turnably secured to the frame of a tractor; power operative means for revolving said sprocket; a flexible chain track, adapted to" engage the sprocket wheel, idler pulley wheel and rollers, said chain track having tread members fastened to the lower edge thereof forming widened, fiat bearing surfaces, adapted to engage the ground thereby forming a chain track over which the rollers may roll; means for causing the rollers to automatically place themselves in position in front of the track members and on the chain track, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 22 day of May 1918.

WILLIAM O. MILLER.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. WHITNEY, O. M. VnooMAN.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for ive centseaoh, by addressing the commissioner ot lstonts.

' Wlshixitol, D. G. i 

